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The 97th Academy Awards recognized the powerful documentary No Other Land, which won Best Documentary on Sunday. The film, a collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, follows activist and co-director Basel Adra as he documents the destruction of his hometown in Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the southern West Bank that has been systematically demolished by the Israeli military to make way for a military training zone.
Adra, who risks arrest to film the destruction, struggles to have his voice heard until he forms an alliance with Israeli journalist and co-director Yuval Abraham. Their collaboration highlights the stark inequalities between Israelis and Palestinians under the Israeli occupation.
A Personal and Political Statement
After accepting the Oscar, Adra delivered an emotional speech, sharing how his community faces daily violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement.
"About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I am living now—always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement," he said.
He called on the global community to take serious action against the injustices faced by Palestinians, stating that the film reflects the painful reality of decades of occupation.
Co-director Yuval Abraham used his speech to criticize the Israeli government for its actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
"We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger," Abraham said. "But we live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military law that destroys his life. There is a different path—one without ethnic supremacy, where both of our peoples have equal rights."
A Documentary with Global Impact
No Other Land has already gained international recognition after a strong run on the film festival circuit. Despite securing distribution in 24 countries, it has not yet found a U.S. distributor.
The film was shot between 2019 and 2023, finishing production just days before Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel. In response, Israel launched an intense military campaign on Gaza, which has resulted in over 60,000 Palestinian deaths as of early 2025.
The documentary features raw, firsthand footage from Adra’s personal archive, showing Israeli soldiers bulldozing homes, destroying water wells, and even shooting a local man protesting his house's demolition—an injury that left him paralyzed. His mother is later seen struggling to care for him while living in a cave.
As violence continues to escalate, with the Israeli military displacing over 40,000 Palestinians in recent months from Jenin, Tulkarm, and other areas of the northern West Bank, No Other Land serves as a crucial testament to the struggle for justice and survival.
